Q. How many chips does each person start with in a simple game of 8 person texas hold em?

A. Thanks for the question Matt,

It all really depends on what you're playing. In a cash game, players simply buy as many chips as they want to be able to bet. In tournament games, each player begins with the same amount of chips. We've written some tips on distributing chips in the home tournament game, you can find them in our Guide to Hosting Tournament Poker. Off the cuff, I'd say that you should make each player start with enough chips to make about 50-75 small bets, or about 30x50 times your pre-flop minimum. If you were starting at $5/$10 for example, start each player with about $1500-$2000 chips.